After returning to the palace, Alex had the bath prepared and headed to the bathroom with William.
They undressed and sank into the hot water. The prince rested the back of his head on the edge of the bathtub and let out a satisfied sigh.
"I could stay here for the rest of the day."
William drew his knees up to his chest. "But we have several things to take care of. You also need to speak with the city guard."
"Don't remind me." Alex sighed and rested his arms along the tub's edge. "How would you like to be punished?"
"Are you letting me choose?"
"Why not? I'm a bit short on ideas."
"I don't believe that."
Alex grinned. "Actually, I'm not—but I'm curious to know how you'd punish yourself if you were in my place."
William blushed and looked away. "I don't know, maybe I'd forbid myself from going to the library for a few days."
"I get the feeling you'd find a way to disobey."
"That's not true."
Alex laughed. "Still, it wouldn't be a fun punishment."
"How would you punish me?"
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"No."
The prince smiled and motioned for him to come closer. William frowned but joined him anyway.
Alex pulled him onto his lap and wrapped his arms around his hips, then kissed William's neck.
"I have a couple of ideas about what to do to you."
"I don't think they can be considered punishments, Your Highness."
"It depends. I could keep you from coming."
William shot him a glare. "Don't you dare."
"You don't like that?"
"No."
"Then it's a good punishment."
He spread William's legs and resumed caressing him over his chest and abdomen. He brushed his tongue along the mage's neck and licked away the droplets of water beading on his skin.
William's breathing immediately grew heavier and deeper. Alex's hands slid along the hollows of his muscles, brushed his navel, and moved down to his groin. He wanted to stroke him until William melted in his arms.
"Do you like it, Will?"
"You know I do…"
"Do you want me to continue?"
"Y-yes…"
Alex moved lower and caressed his member. William tensed against his body, and the first moan slipped from his lips. His arousal reverberated in Alex's chest and ignited the prince's own.
But if they did it in the bathtub, it wouldn't be a real punishment.
"You were really cruel earlier."
"I'm sorry…"
"That's not true," Alex murmured against his neck, his hands continuing to stimulate him. "You're not sorry at all."
"I… I don't want to see you sad…"
"Then why did you do it?"
"You know… We have no choice…"
Alex caressed one of his nipples and William let out a low whimper. He was aroused; Alex could feel it in the way he pressed against his body when he touched him.
The prince lifted one of William's legs and slipped a finger inside him. William stiffened and clutched at him.
"Your Highness…"
"Does it hurt?"
"No, it's just… too pleasant."
Alex drew him into a long kiss. Their tongues brushed and explored each other; their breaths mingling. The prince pushed his finger deeper inside him, and the mage moaned against his lips.
"Y-Your Highness…"
"Call me by my name."
"I-I can't…"
Alex slid his finger into him again. "That's an order."
"I can't," William murmured. "I can't do it… You're my prince…"
Alex moved his finger back and forth, alternating rhythm and depth. William sagged against him, eyes half-lidded and cheeks flushed. The moans broke the silence, a sound that bewitched the prince's senses and set him alight with desire.
He would have given anything to savor William's voice, thick with pleasure, and his languid gaze.
"Do you desire me?"
"Y-yes," the mage whimpered.
"How much?"
"I don't know…"
"Do you want to feel me inside you?"
"I—"
Alex added a second finger, and William threw his head back and moaned. His pale neck was taut, inviting kisses and bites, and the prince traced it with his tongue up to the earlobe.
"I'd like to bite you." He brushed his ear with his teeth. "I'd like to mark your whole body, so everyone will know you're mine."
"Do it. I want to be yours. I want your mouth on my skin."
"You flatter me, but not now."
Alex withdrew his fingers, moved his hand away from William's member, and leaned against the edge of the tub. William gave him a confused look.
"You're not… continuing?"
"No."
"Why?"
"It's your punishment. But if you need relief, you can take care of it yourself."
The confusion in William's eyes turned into indignation. "You deceived me."
"You did the same earlier." Alex raised an eyebrow. "I told you I'd punish you, didn't I?"
"But this—"
"Do you have something to say, William?"
"Of course I do! You can't do those things to me and then hold back before I'm finished."
"I have every right to." Alex smirked. "And besides, it's not such a bad punishment, considering how much you were enjoying it."
"I would have preferred being whipped to… this."
"What an exaggeration! Think of it as an erotic game. I bet you've read a similar scene in your books."
William shot him a glare and pulled away. "Don't speak to me again."
"I didn't know you desired me that much. Or maybe you only desire a certain part of my body."
The mage turned red up to his ears, but refused to rise to the provocation.
The rest of the bath passed in silence. William was offended by the punishment Alex had inflicted on him, but the prince didn't worry about it. He knew it would pass, and of all the punishments Alex could have given him, that one was the most tolerable.
After drying off and getting dressed, they joined Flori for dinner.
The meal unfolded in a relaxed atmosphere, even though William kept shooting him looks so sharp that Alex's stomach tightened in a pleasant grip. The prince tried not to pay it much mind and chatted with his cousin about the situation at court.
Once they had finished dinner, Flori escorted them to a sitting room where the captain of the city guard was waiting.
The man was a veteran, with graying hair and thin scars on one cheek, and he had a distinctly pragmatic air. He listened to their plan in silence, nodding from time to time.
"It's a good idea," he said once Alex finished speaking.
"Do you know the boy?"
"By sight. He's a petty delinquent, but until now he's only been involved in brawls and small thefts."
"But his father is rich, right?"
The captain shrugged. "He steals for fun, the bastard—and we never manage to catch him."
"Is he cunning?"
"I'd say rather that he has powerful friends. Mostly other boys his age."
Alex sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "This time he won't get away with it."
"Will your mage be all right?"
"That's why I had you summoned. I need the city guard to guarantee my mage's safety. We must identify the best place to set the trap and position the men in order to surround him and prevent his escape."
Flori spread a map of the city on the small table, and the captain stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"The bastard frequents the slums and the working-class districts; ideally, we should lure him into those areas."
"I know them," William said. "I grew up there."
"Excellent. Knowing the terrain is important." The captain pointed to a spot on the map. "This place is good. It's out of the way, but not completely isolated, and it's surrounded by warehouses we can use."
Alex frowned. "It seems like a good place for an ambush."
"It is, Your Highness. We can hide in the warehouses and easily surround the area to cut off his escape route."
The captain indicated several points on the map.
"I can place my men here and here. Your soldiers could hide here and intervene if there's danger."
"It's a good plan." Alex saw no flaws the bastard could exploit. "We just need to find a way to lure him here."
"I can handle that," William said. "I can make sure he follows me there without suspecting it's a trap."
Alex looked away from the mage's serious face and sighed. "All right, we have a plan. Tomorrow morning we start moving."
"And the father?" Flori asked. "You said he'll come, right?"
"Keep him here. Tell him it's an order from his prince or use any other excuse you can think of. I want him here when we arrest his son."
The captain bowed his head. "May I go, Your Highness?"
"Yes. Communicate the plan, but don't go into details. Tomorrow morning we'll join you and coordinate."
"It will be done. Thank you for your support; I'm grateful to you."
"I'm only doing my duty."
The man hesitated, then bowed. "You didn't have to, Your Highness. The safety of Lenz is my duty, not yours. You weren't obliged to compansate for my mistakes."
"A good ruler takes care of his subjects. All of them."
Flori escorted him out, and Alex went back to studying the city map. The more he thought about it, the tighter his stomach clenched with anxiety.
"Are you sure, Will?"
"Yes."
"You can always back out. You still have time. I can ask one of the boys to dress up as a woman—"
William placed a hand over Alex's. "Everything will be fine. And I'm the only one who can do it."
"Because you're the most beautiful man I've ever seen?"
"Yes. That's why I'm the best bait."
"I'll hide nearby. If he hurts you, I'll intervene."
"Thank you."
Alex ran a hand over the back of his neck and looked William in the eyes. "By the way, aren't you still offended?"
William frowned and shot him a deadly look. "Of course I'm offended. Your punishment was cruel, downright torture."
"Just because I didn't let you finish?"
"You deceived me."
"If I remember correctly, I told you I wouldn't let you come."
"And I told you that you shouldn't dare."
Alex grinned. "Aren't you being a bit too cheeky, talking like that to your prince and future ruler?"
"Considering our relationship, I think I can allow myself that, Your Highness."
"You were cheeky before too. Should I remind you what you told me at the oath?"
"It was your fault. You deserved it."
"For a man who's been in love for thirteen years, you can be truly irritating sometimes."
William blushed and looked away. "I was angry with you. That's all."
"When you get angry, your tongue becomes even sharper."
"I doubt you mind."
"Actually, no." Alex slipped an arm around William's back. "Retire for the night, Will."
"Where are you going?"
"I'll talk to Sven, and then I'll go to sleep too. Tomorrow we should both be well rested."
William frowned and took his leave without even giving him a kiss. He must have been offended by the punishment.
Alex smiled, shrugged, and went to see his private guard. He informed Sven and the others about what would happen the next day, and then retired for the night.